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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nNepal\n& Sri Lanka share similarities. Both countries have appointed teams to\nstudy MCC. MCC was signed by Nepal in 2017 \u2013 the state of MCC Sri Lanka has\nbeen kept a secret from public. MCC has yet to be passed by Nepal\u2019s Parliament\nwhile in Sri Lanka the public are questioning why MCC which is supposed to be a\n\u2018gift\u2019 needs to be passed by Sri Lanka\u2019s Parliament as well as why role of\njudiciary is removed by giving scope of immunities to MCC. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
US is giving Nepal a $500m grant while\nSri Lanka\u2019s \u2018gift\u2019 is $480m.<\/strong>\nIncidentally, there is speculation that Nepal\u2019s committee is unlikely to\nrecommend passing MCC agreement. While Sri Lanka\u2019s MCC Review Committee\ncomprises 4 academics and professionals, Nepal\u2019s\nMCC committee is led by former prime minister\nJhalanath Khanal & includes Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali and former\ndefense minister Bhim Rawal.<\/strong> Rawal is of the position that MCC is part\nof America\u2019s objective to strengthen military alliance in South Asia as part of\nits US-Indo Pacific Strategy.<\/strong> The catch both Governments are likely fall\nfor is to believe that clauses can be changed once passed by Parliament. We all\nknow the impossibility of this! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Another interesting fact is that US Senate has already endorsed\nMCC Nepal grant but not released the money as MCC has not been passed by Nepal\nParliament. Nepal is therefore footing\nthe salaries for MCC staffers and consultants in Nepal.<\/strong> Wonder how much\nthis is and whether the same is taking place in Sri Lanka too without the\ntaxpayers knowledge! While US is giving\n$500m \u2013 Nepal is committing $130m<\/strong> \u2026. So is Sri Lanka\u2019s commitment amount\nbeing kept a secret??? <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Kathmandu Post – Why the MCC compact courted controversy in\nNepal)<\/p>\n\n\n\n the Indo-Pacific\nStrategy is aimed at countering China\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n What is crucial to the discussion is whether MCC is really part\nof a hidden US strategy in Asia and its key objective to curtail China. Both\nNepal & Sri Lanka have long-standing friendship with China. Nepal cannot\nforget the economic embargo by India during its new constitution when India\nstopped all food, medicine, petrol going to Nepal because Nepal refused to\nchanges clauses in its constitution that India wanted. China came to Nepal\u2019s\nassistance by flying in food & medicines. West managed to get Nepal to pass\na new constitution in 2015 but failed to do so in Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sri Lanka has its own examples of bullying sessions by India.\nChina has never bullied Sri Lanka or Nepal at any given time in their\nrelationship at different levels. Naturally Nepalis and Sri Lankans alike do\nnot wish to sign any pact that may harm relations with China or cause Asia into\na new arms conflict unnecessarily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It was the US that let the cat out of the bag with David J Ranz Assistant Secretary for South\nAsia of US State Dept during his visit to Nepal in May 2019 who blurted that\nMCC was a crucial part of the Indo-Pacific Strategy.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n